Tigers and Tickles
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: Kristin makes a new friend while visiting her favorite place. Rated T for some action violence. Tickles included! Done as a request, so please, no flames.


**This is a very late birthday gift fanfic for one of my good friends, EmeraldMoonGreen. Here you go, girl! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Kristin belongs to EmeraldMoonGreen, I own Mrs. Grontle and Michael, and Ben 10 and its characters belong to Cartoon Network and Man of Action.**

**A/N: The inspiration for this story came from the Big Bad Beetleborgs episode: Beetle Rock Part 1 which belongs to Saban.**

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**Tigers and Tickles**

Kristin was on her bike, her dark brown and curly hair flying in the wind under her helmet as she headed towards her favorite ice cream store in town after a long day at school. The day had seemed it wouldn't end, but the good news was she had gotten an A plus on both her Math test and her Science test, and a B plus on her History test, so she felt happy and wanted a Root Beer Float to celebrate. Her mom was at work and wouldn't be back until later, but that was okay.

"Hello, Kristin," said the lady behind the counter. She was Mrs. Grontle, the owner of the little Shoppe. She had white hair, kind blue eyes with glasses that had pink lenses, and she always wore such colorful clothes with pictures of all kinds of desserts on them.

"Hi, Mrs. Grontle!" she said happily as she sat down in her seat and to her surprise, Mrs. Grontle placed a huge Root Beer Float in front of her.

"My niece called me and told me how well you had done on your tests and I decided you deserved a big Root Beer Float," the elderly lady chuckled.

Kristin grinned. "Thank you," she said and went to pay, but Mrs. Grontle said it was on the house, so Kristin sat there, enjoying the treat and mentally making a note to herself to thank her teacher, who was Mrs. Grontle's niece.

While she was enjoying her Float, someone walked in. It was Patricia, a very spoiled girl whose father owned the Ice Cream Shoppe and she often flaunted around at how rich she was and could have anything she wanted, her Daddy always gave her whatever she asked for. Kristin rolled her chocolate brown eyes and ignored the girl while Mrs. Grontle dealt with her.

"I can do whatever I want," said Patricia.

"Your father may own the building, but I own this business, young lady," said Mrs. Grontle sternly.

Patricia scoffed. "You're just an old lady," she said rudely. "Shouldn't you be at the nursing home?"

Kristin was off her seat and standing in front of Patricia. "You leave her alone," she said, angry that the girl had the gall to be so rude to Mrs. Grontle.

Patricia looked smug. "What are you going to do about it, low-life?" she asked. The rich girl always considered those who weren't as rich as her to be low-life people.

Kristin was mad and was ready to give the girl a piece of her mind, but glanced at Mrs. Grontle, who shook her head gently and Kristin looked back at Patricia. "Get out of here, Barbie doll," she said to Patricia, who turned red with anger and Kristin smirked at her, knowing that Patricia hated to be called that.

As Kristin turned away, Patricia rammed into her from behind, making her stumble. Kristin stood up and Patricia smirked. "Get up, low-life," she said. "You need to be taught a lesson."

Mrs. Grontle looked worried and immediately went to the back room, possibly to call the police.

Kristin stood up and glared at Patricia. "I think you need to be brought down a few notches, Barbie doll," she said as she braced herself, ready to fight.

Patricia now charged to punch Kristin, but suddenly found herself hanging from air and Kristin's eyes went wide at the large tiger with green eyes and a face fixed in a snarl as he held up the rich girl and roared at her.

"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, RICH GIRL! RATH HATES PEOPLE WHO SHOW NO RESPECT TO MRS. GRONTLE AND RATH SAYS PEOPLE LIKE YOU NEED TO GO WHERE YOU BELONG! THE TRASH HEAP!"

With that, the huge tiger carried the crying girl out the door and tossed her harshly into a pile of rotting vegetables and melted ice cream and everyone around her started laughing at the fuming mad and embarrassed girl.

"Serves you right!" called a voice of a customer.

"I hope you learned your lesson!" taunted another as the others cheered for the tiger who had come out and he smiled and bowed before going back in to see Kristin looking at him with fear as she hid behind the one of the counters and Mrs. Grontle trying to convince her that it was alright.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Grontle?" he asked.

"I'm alright, Rath, thank you," said the elderly woman. "But I'm afraid I can't convince Kristin to come out."

Rath understood why Kristin was afraid. He had come out in a rage and could be very terrifying, so he had possibly scared her when dealing with Patricia. "Hey, girl, come out," he said to her in a calm voice.

"Rath won't hurt you, dear," said Mrs. Grontle. "He's just very protective of me and the Shoppe."

Kristin slowly moved toward the edge of the counter, but looked ready to bolt. Mrs. Grontle gently pushed her towards Rath. "Rath is an alien from space who landed her after getting into a battle with the Forever Knights and he hid in my Shoppe. I asked him to stay and protect the Shoppe and I would protect him in return. It's been a good three years now since that day," she said.

Kristin was shocked. An alien had been here and she had had no idea? She was really surprised now.

Rath looked at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mrs. Grontle says you come here every day for a Root Beer Float," he said. "You really like them, huh?"

Kristin smiled. "Yeah, I do," she said, feeling less afraid of this tiger. In fact, she actually thought he was pretty cool.

The three sat down to enjoy cold treats and Kristin was surprised that an alien could enjoy ice cream so much, but it was fun all the same. "I had no idea an alien could like ice cream so much. He'll gobble you out of the store, Mrs. Grontle," Kristin joked, making the elderly lady chuckle, but Rath looked at her, an idea in his mind.

"You asked for it, Kristin," he said and quickly pinned her to the floor. She let out a gasp of surprise as she felt Rath pin her and his hands reached for her neck. "Rath noticed Kristin never wears her hair down. Why?" he asked.

"Well, it's hot outside," she said, hoping to deter him from his plan to tickle her neck, as her neck was her only ticklish spot and was very ticklish.

Rath smirked. "Maybe, but Rath once hear you tell Mrs. Grontle your neck was ticklish," he grinned. "It's time for a neck tickle!"

Kristin was about to berate herself for letting her secret slip, but Rath's fingers tickling her neck made her forget that and she laughed and tried to protect her neck, but the alien was too strong and his large fingers were tickling her neck to the max.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHA!" she cried out. "Stop! THAT TICKLES!"

But Rath kept going. "Cootchie cootchie coo," he said. "You've got a very ticklish neck!"

Kristin couldn't get away as she now had no strength to get away as she continued to laugh hard, but finally, the alien tiger decided she had had enough and let her up, helping her into her seat as he rubbed her back. "You okay?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I am," she said. "But I think I owe you something."

"What?" he asked.

Kristin grinned. "Tickle fight!" she said and immediately began to tickle Rath's sides, making the alien tiger roar in laughter as he then began to tickle her back, but she didn't stop tickling him. Finally, Rath couldn't take it.

"I give!" he said and Kristin stopped tickling him to which he gave her a noogie and she got away and helped him up.

"You okay, Rath?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "That was fun, though."

Rath smiled and after Kristin finished up her Float, she hugged both Rath and Mrs. Grontle before leaving and promised to come back the next day.

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She had just pulled up to the Shoppe when she saw a well-dressed man step out of the store and he was speaking to Patricia's father. "I'll buy the building," he said. "My great-aunt loves it here and I have always loved her ice cream as it has always been the best. I couldn't stand to see this Shoppe closed."

Kristin was surprised and watched the man give Patricia's father a check. "Here is the whole amount," he said.

Patricia's father nodded. "The papers have been signed to you," he said. "Thank you for your business."

"And thank you, sir," said the other man as Patricia's father got into his limo and the limo drove away and Kristin could hear Patricia complaining about the whole thing and she smiled.

"Guess her Daddy couldn't let her have this building, huh?" she said to the man.

He smiled. "Yes," he said. "You must be Kristin. I'm Michael, Mrs. Grontle great-nephew."

"I'm happy to meet you," she said.

Mrs. Grontle came out. "Well, come on in, you two. Root Beer Floats on the house!"

They were the first ones there and so enjoyed their treats as Michael met Rath and Kristin hugged Rath, who returned the hug affectionately.

It was awesome to have such a wonderful place to enjoy cold treats and even more awesome to have such a great friend and such great people to enjoy them with.

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**How was it? Please review, but no flames!**

**GoldGuardian2418**


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